loving light

You can't talk about the Church of St. Mary, Aldermanbury on Westminster College's campus without talking about light. Right after Alex and Anne's wedding, when dramatic late evening sun rays traveled (how many?!) light years to earth and squeezed their way through the gaps between storm clouds to illuminate Anne's long veil in just the right way, I remembered this statement by Monet: "I'm running after a slice of color. I want to paint the intangible. It's appalling the way light escapes, taking color along with it." Yes to all that!!!

And "yes!" to the incomparable Church of St. Mary, Aldermanbury (the light-filled, airy church designed by Christopher Wren that was re-erected as a memorial to Winston Churchill in Fulton after being damaged in London during WWII).

And "yes!" to the calm, loving kindness that Anne & Alex share with one another, their friends, their families.

See more of this beautiful church and Anne & Alex's wedding by
clicking here on Anne & Alex's Wedding Album
and by checking out these pictures from their light-graced day:
This next shot was made by Ashley, who assisted me for the first time this day and did a great job documenting the ceremony from the balcony:Anne's father paused in the doorway just long enough for this to happen:
~kim

trashing the dress

"The dirtier my dress gets, the more fun I'm having." So said Lucie, sitting at the Dog Prairie Tavern (Jonny's hometown watering hole), midway through her wedding day (that would be AFTER Hooters but BEFORE the reception).

(Amy and I have been looking for just such a bride to go out with us on a post-wedding day "trash the dress" photo session in which we make fashion-inspired images with no regard to dirt or wrinkles...a bride willing to walk into a lake, through cowpie-strewn pastures, under garden hoses...wherever the photographic muse leads us...any takers?!)

Ok, back to Lucie & Jonny, a couple with party loving spirits and a host of friends eager to join the fray. Lucie & Jonny booked me (almost literally) on the dance floor at Ellen & Ryan's wedding last year, and I'd been looking forward to this St. Charles wedding every since.

So check out their WEDDING ALBUM (hot off the press) set to the song "Next to Me" by The Subdudes. (And if you don't yet have it, you'll need to download this free version of QuickTime Player.)

Here are a few favorite pics of the day-long party with multiple stops that was Lucie & Jonny's wedding day:

~at the church:~at St. Charles' waterfront:~at Hooter's
~at the Dog Prairie Tavern~at someone's (?) barn~at the receptionOne of my favorite pics of the day? One of Becca's; way to go!
~kim

train tracks & horseback

One of the [many MANY!] things I love about photography is the unusual and the unanticipated. When Katie called to schedule an engagement shoot, she asked, "Is it ok to take some pictures with us on horseback 'cause that's one of the things we love to do." You bet! How cool is that?! Well, it was even better than I imagined...hiking through golden pasture, seeing Al so clearly in his element, making pictures surrounded by beautiful evening glow light.



But what happened on the way to the barn was great too...hey, look, let's check out those train tracks (and an actual train sped by...just when we needed it to!)...a stop at an abandoned barn...and a chance to work with my 8 yr old son Elliot who traveled up to Palmyra with me to help with equipment.




~kim

and the answer is....

...SIX YEARS!

Inevitably I'm asked
"so how long have you been a wedding photographer?"
Hmmm...good question.
I can pretty much name each & every couple but coming up with the YEAR can be tricky.

BUT last weekend when I was asked that very question, I simply called out to Amie & Paul at the next table:

Q. Hey, how long have you two been married?
A. Six years. We celebrated 6 years in April.

and here are Amie & Paul (and Sagan & Damian) now:



If there was a timeline graphic of me as professional photographer; Amie & Paul's wedding would have the big star & bold letters. When I walked into their April 2001 wedding rehearsal ...feeling nervous & overwhelmed, I found myself in an empty church, a wee bit early with pre-wedding jitters. Then a conversation in the hallway caught my attention. And in walked the bride's (Amie's) Dad with the minister. It was good news -- Kim Caselman (Amie's dad, and Erin's -- who was just married last weekend, too, but keep reading I'll try to make sense of it.) Anyway, Kim Caselman was one of my most favorite family members on my husband's side of the family. He introduced me to the minister in a way I'll never forget, but before I share, here's a bit more background:

Kim was a custom cabinet maker who created such beautiful & artistic pieces ~ such amazingly skilled work. When he introduced me to the preacher, he said:

This is my nephew's wife, Amy. She's at that point, that I remember being at myself. You know, I was making pretty nice cabinets well before I ever would have called myself a Cabinet Maker. But I'll tell you this: Amy is a Photographer.

He nailed it (heee...LOVE a pun!) -- he brought it all to light for me. I will be forever grateful to Kim Caselman for saying those words in my presence because it helped me understand how I was feeling (trepidatious...was I a photographer or just playing one on TV?) and identify the journey one takes from creating-the-product, the art, to recognizing oneself as Artist.

Honestly, if it weren't for Paul's beautiful cousins (turn of the century brides Amie Caselman & Katie Cole) who went out on a limb & asked me to take their wedding pictures, I don't know that I would have explored the path. And I LOVE this path!!

And the above is why for a long time most of the people in my portfolio were well, related to me. And here's the latest:

Erin Caselmen (Amie's kid sister; one of Paul's MANY cousins) was married last week.

She's both kind and BEAUTIFUL:

and wore an AMAZING DRESS:

as she married a really great guy:

becoming part of terrific family:

while surrounded by family & friends from near & far:


It was a perfect day and a delight to document. [CLICK RIGHT HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW]

and

BIG BONUS:
had a chance to put my "One Light" knowledge (Zack Arias' lighting workshop Kim, Annika & I went to in Indianapolis in May) to the test...and (yipeee!!!) LOOK, though I'm still working on improving my abilities to create & capture dramatic light, so far, I feel like I've moved forward by leaps & bounds:
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU GUYS

with lots of love
~amy